Savings-bank.



No. 697,268. A Patented Apr. 8, |902. F. s. McPHEBsoN.

SAVINGS BANK. (Application filed Nov. 19, 1901.) (No Model.)

' lll/llllllllllIIIIIIIIlllllllllIIIIIllIIIIll/{l/l my h @y @V/ UNirnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK G. MOPI-IERSON, OF BEAVERFALLS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN lV. HOFFMAN, MONT D. YOUTES, AND J. FOSTER BELL, OF

ROCHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAVINGS-BANK.

SPECTLFUATION formingpaft of Letters Patent No. 697,268, dated April 8, 1902.

Application tiled November 19, 1901. Serial Nol 82,833. (Nomodel.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK G. MCPHERSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Beaverfalls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Savings-Banks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in savings-banks, the primary object of the invention being to construct a bank of this character in which the savings may be deposited and from which they cannot be removed except by the person or persons possessing the key to unlock the bank-door.

Many banks and savingsinstitutions make a practice of issuing a small savings-bank to depositors in which the savings are placed from time to time, the key to the savingsbank issued being retained by the depository issuing the bank, and my improved bank is particularly adapted for such use, though it is as readily applicable to other uses.

Briefly described, the invention com-prises a main receptacle or box provided with a suitable door, preferably secured by alock requiring a key to open. This box or receptacle is made substantially rectangular in shape, with the end having the door of greater area than the other end, for a purpose as will later be explained. This box or receptacle has a plate or false bottom placed therein adjacent to the top of the box or receptacle, and in the space between this plate or false bottom and the top is placed a sliding plate, which is provided with an opening of a size sufcient to receive the largest coin. This sliding plate is cut away at its forward end, so as to permit the same sliding sufficiently far into the box or receptacle to permit the discharge of the coin. This slot or cut-away portion in the sliding plate is guarded by a spring-held gate that is actuated to be opened by the coin and which prevents the manipulation of the box or receptacle in any manner to reenter a coin into the sliding plate after having been deposited into the box or receptacle. All of this construction and such other details as enter into my invention will be hereinafter described in detail, and in describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of my invention, and wherein like numerals 0f reference will be employed to designate like parts throughout the several views,in which- Figure l is a detail perspective view of my improved savings-bank. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 isa transverse vertical sectional View. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the spring-held gate removed from its position in the box or rece'ptacle. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the sliding delivery-plate. 1

To pnt my invention into practice, I provide a substantially rectangular box or receptacle l, which may be made from a suitable metal or other suitable material. This box or receptacle is made larger at one end than at the other by having an offset portion 2, which is done in order that a gate may be suspended within the box or receptacle in such a positionas to guard the delivery-slot and prevent the manipulating of the bank in any manner to permit the removal of a coin or coins therefrom by unauthorized persons. A door 3 of any suitable form is placed in the box or receptacle, preferably in the larger end thereof, and this door may be provided with any approved form of lock, preferablyT of a form employing a key to open or close the lock. The top It of the box or receptacle is cut away adjacent to the smaller end of the box, there being left, however, sufficient material to form a flange 5 around three sides of the opening or cut-away portion G. Placed within the box or receptaclel a slight distance below the top or cover et is a plate or false bottom 7, and in the space 8 between this plate or false bottom 7 and the top or cover 4 there is fitted to slide neatly therein a coin-delivering plate 9. This plate 9 is provided with an opening l0, made at or about the center thereof and of a size sufficient to receive the largest coins, the plate 9 being also slotted at its inner end, the slot ll registering with the central opening 10. Cast or otherwise secured on the upright portion 12 of the top or cover are two lugs 14, and

IfO

journaled in these lugs 14 is a shaft or spindle 14', which carries a gate or flap-valve 15, that lies normally in the slot 11. This gate or valve is held in this portion by means of a spring, a practical form for which is shown in this illustration and consists of a wire wrapped around the shaft or spindle, with one end resting against the gate or valve and the other end resting against the top or cover. This spring 16 has a tension only sucient to normally retain the gate in the opening or slot in the sliding delivery-plate and is adapted to be overcome by the engagement of the coin with the gate, so as to cause the delivery of the same when the box is tilted.

In operation the coin is placed in the opening` 10 and the box or receptacle tilted, so as to cause the delivery-plate 9 to slide toward the larger end of the box or receptacle, carrying the coin therewith, until the latter comes into engagement with the spring-held gate; forcing the latter out of the way and permitting the coin to fall into the box or receptacle. Immediately upon the coin being released the spring-gate returns to its normal position through the slot 11, which serves to allow the slide to be returned to its former position, thus closing the entrance from the box or receptacle to the opening 10 and preventing lthe removal of the coin other than through the door when the latter is opened. I desire to call particular attention to the fact that in no position in which the sliding delivery-plate may be placed is there sufficient room to permit the entrance of the smallest coin into the delivery-plate from the box or receptacle, thus absolutely preventing tampering with the contents of the bank. Upon retilting the bank, so that its smaller end will be slightly below the level, the sliding delivery-plate will return to its normal position between the cover or top and plate or false bottom ready for the reception of another coin, and this sliding plate will readily remain in this position as long as the bank is in l a level or substantially level position.

-YVhle the construction as herein shown and described is the preferred form of my invention, yet it will be observed that various changes might be made in .the details of construction-as, for instance, a different form of sprin g for the gate or constructing the box or receptacle without the offset portion, and such changes as these may be made at will without departing from the general spirit of the invention. l

v Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a savings-bank, a box or receptacle partially cut away in the top or cover, afalse bottom secured in the box a slight distance below top or cover, a coin-delivery plate arranged to slide longitudinally of the box within the space between the false bottom and the top or cover, said plate having a coin-receiving opening and provided in one end with a slot communicating with the opening, a gate pivotally mounted in the box or receptacle, and a spring for normally holding said gate in front of the space between the cover and the false bottom, substantially as described.

2. In a savings-bank, a box having a cutaway portion in the top thereof, a false bottom located within the box a slight distance below the top, a spring-held gate pivotally mounted in the box and' lying normally in front of the space between the top and false bottom, and a coin-delivery plate adapted to slide on the false bottom, said plate havinga coin-receiving opening and provided in one end with a slot which receives the gate when the box is tilted, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a savings-bank, a box orreceptacle having a portion of its top or cover cut away, a false bottom Within the box or casing, and a spring-held gate which is normally held in front of the space between the top or cover and the false bottom, combined with a slidable coin-delivery plate supported by the f alse bottom and having a coin-receiving opening and provided with a slot adapted to receive the gate when the box or receptacle is tilted whereby the gate is engaged by the coin and operated to permit the discharge of the coin into the box or receptacle, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK Gr. MOPHERSON.

Witnesses:

SUSIE W. ROUZER, HARRY P. SHARRER. 

